Deadlocked

By A.R. Wise

David was caught in the middle of the city when the zombie outbreak started. His wife and daughters were at home, stranded on the roof as zombies waited below. He would have to fight through hordes of undead, merciless other survivors, and a series of death defying stunts to get home. However, even if he makes it there, how can he be sure they're safe?
Deadlocked puts you into David's head as he struggles to get home. Then a final confrontation occurs that will guarantee his family's survival, but at what cost?

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.R. Wise
• Release date: Nov 9, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465882202

A.R. Wise

I am a podcaster, movie and music lover, owner of the Talkingship website, and long time secret writer. I decided to sit down and force myself to finally put together a story and get it into people's hands. That happened with the release of my first novella, Deadlocked, on November 9th, 2011. For updates on my writing, news about upcoming projects, and to see a ludicrous amount of other fantastic things, head over to http://talkingship.com/wp/

Book preview

DEADLOCKED

By A. R. Wise

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Aaron Wise

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

The first book in the Deadlocked series is free, and it is the wish of the author that it be made available to as many people as possible. If you enjoy this book, please tell your friends and family to read it as well!

CHAPTER ONE - INFECTION

The apocalypse began when people were stabbed by tiny needles in crowded subways. Victims reported a stinging sensation on their thigh, as if someone in the crowd had jabbed them. They returned home to discover a swelling, purple lesion where the sting had occurred. Most people didn't pay attention to it the first day, but the infection spread quickly and soon the sick crowded ER rooms around the world.

Rumors of other causes of the disease started as well. People got cut by razors taped to the handles of gas pumps, water supplies were tainted, cafeteria food was infected; there was a never-ending stream of new theories on how it had been spread. I assumed it was paranoia, but I was wrong. This was far worse than anyone's worst fears.

The moment the paranoia turned to panic was caught on camera, but I'd been panicked all morning. Not because conspiracy theorists swore the world was ending, but because mine had fallen apart around me.

I planned to leave work early that day. My wife, Laura, was going to drop off our daughters at a neighbor’s house and pick me up at noon. I found a lump on my left testicle a week ago and Laura insisted I get it checked out. After a physical, the doctor said he wanted me to get an ultrasound. That test came back with concerning results and I had to follow up with a serum tumor marker test.

They got the results back from the lab yesterday and asked me to come in as soon as possible. We knew it was bad news. If the test came back negative they would have told us over the phone.

Everyone else in the office was focused on the terrorist attacks. The burgeoning panic allowed my disease, and the concern it caused, a level of anonymity I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. I was able to slip into the office, my face drained of color and my palms wet with sweat, and duck into my cubicle.

My best friend, a short, tubby man named Barry, had started working here around the same time as me. He sat in the cubicle next to mine and always had someone in there, usually chatting about the latest episode of a new, favorite reality show or some other exercise in wasting time. He'd been written up more than once for watching shows on his computer during work. I could hear his computer now, blaring the local news. The difference today was that the sales managers were in there with him.

What hospital are they at? asked Jerry. He was supposed to be managing the floor, but he had no interest in telling people to get back to work on a day like this.

Saint Peter’s, said Barry.

A bus full of kids just showed up. Gloria clasped her hand over her mouth. This is horrible.

Has anyone died? asked Jerry.

Not yet, said Alan, one of the company’s accountants.

How many kids are sick? Jerry pushed his way past the others to get a better view of Barry's screen.

They didn’t say. They’re taking the camera over to the bus now, said Barry.

Everyone silenced and I could hear the reporter tell viewers he was going to get on the bus. After a few moments of rustling, which I assumed was the reporter’s microphone rubbing against his coat, he asked, What happened here? Are these kids okay?

Oh my God, said Gloria. How terrible. Look at them, the poor babies.

Then the screaming started. Everyone in Barry’s cubicle jumped and the walls shook as people pressed against them. Barry’s speakers crackled with the shrieks of children.

My daughters are three and five, so I was studied in the various screeches a child can make, and these were a mix of pain and terror. The pained screams weren’t the sort that came from a stubbed toe or skinned knee. These were a violent expulsion of every ounce of breath and energy the child could muster. I can still remember the sound that came from that speaker as if it were happening now. It was horrific.

I couldn’t ignore this event any longer. I got up and peered over the divider.

What are they doing? asked Gloria. Why are they doing that? She was panicked and had her hands on her cheeks as if ready to cover her eyes.

Barry turned off his monitor, but the sound continued to wail through his speakers. He scurried to turn them off and eventually had to rip them away from his desk. The cord whipped out from behind his computer tower. He held the speakers and stared up at me, his face drained of color and his eyes wide and unblinking.

What happened? I asked. I didn’t see. What happened?

Jerry had his hands on his head and sounded like he was going to hyperventilate as he stumbled through the crowd and fell back against the wall outside the cubicle. James and Marcia announced they were going home and Jerry

Reviews for Deadlocked

[chrystalm_7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This novella was extremely fast paced and action packed. A.R. Wise writes this story from the point of view of a father who is just trying to get home to his family during a zombie outbreak. The emotions run high as this man tries desperately to make it across the city to his family - all he wants to do is see them again and have the chance to protect them from this unimaginable onslaught of the walking dead. David shows what a man would do to save the lives of his loved ones. Desperate times call for desperate measures. David doesn't shy away from anything - he just does what needs to be done regardless of the morals and ethics he was brought up with. All of that went out the window the minute he witnessed people eating each other in the streets. What would you do or give up to survive?A.R. Wise writes some of the most gruesome scenes, a few made me squeamish, but honestly they set the tone for the entire story. This novella is geared towards adult audiences due to the violence and the language throughout the story. This is a great read for zombie enthusiasts. I plan to read the rest of the series and write a review for each of the novellas (I'm already done the second and loved it even more than the first).